DECEMBER 1893--I found a quite interesting story pertaining to a man named Abram Aguilar, (Abraham Aguilar on marriage records), who worked for the Kraemer family on their ranch in Anaheim. In December of 1893, Abrams 16 year old, estranged wife, died from being burned alive in her home in Los Angeles. In her final moments leading up to death, she claimed it was her husband Abram who threw oil on her and lit her on fire, because she would not return to him. Immediately, Abram was arrested and charged with her murder. The wifes family, the Silvas, were adamant about getting vengeance on Franciscas death. Many family members testified that they saw him on the property at the time of her death, although her sister claimed she saw no one else but the man who put the flames out, Mr. Gentry. This was not the first time that allegations had been made against Aguilar. You see, Francisca and Abram had been married on Sept. 4th, 1893 and only together 9 days before his wife left him to run home to her mother. She refused to go back to him, and so, as he claimed, he went on with his life. He said that later she came back, begging for him to accept her. Her mother even came to ask him, which he dismissed. They were very angry with him and made charges that he was sending her threatening letters, but when it came to court, he proved that he could not read or write, so the case was dismissed on November 22, 1893, the last day he claimed to have been in Los Angeles. Many high profile members of Anaheim society, paid Aguilars bail and testified on his behalf that not only were they certain he would not do such a thing, but that they saw him the day of the murder, working in the fields just east of Anaheim, and he never left the property. When it went to trial, it was obvious someone had committed perjury on the details, but who? After it was all said and done, Aguilar was acquitted of all charges and became a free man. The mystery of how Francisca met her doom is still left for speculation. Did she burn herself, in the ultimate revenge? Did her mother aid in the plot, to ruin Aguilar? Or did Aguilar have friends who helped him murder her, or helped him cover it up, giving him an alibi to commit the murder? We may never know.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 05:56:58 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015